These LGBTQ+ romance novels give readers all the bodice-ripping fun Bridgerton is known for, but double down on making queer people the main characters in their love stories
Dearest gentle readers, it’s been four years since the premiere of Netflix’s original series Bridgerton turned people’s Covid-era free time into a rabid frenzy for historical dalliances. Now with three seasons under its belt, the Shonda Rhimes-helmed adaptation of author Julia Quinn’s popular book series has cemented its title as the diamond of the television season. Season 3 of Bridgerton, which was split into two releases, the most recent of which premiered in May, topped the Neilsen streaming charts with over 2.7 billion minutes viewed.
Aside from bringing its own established fanbase, Bridgerton has been the catalyst for an explosion in interest in romances taking place during the British Regency in the early 19th century. In 2021, People and The New York Times reported massive spikes in sales of both Quinn’s books and other Regency bodice rippers. The setting — a social world where marriage is life, balls abound, and the smallest slights can end in a duel — has built-in conflict and spaces for sex and intrigue to thrive. Rhimes’ Bridgerton took that a step further, centering her story in a Regency alternate universe where the social rules are the same, but race no longer plays a factor. It’s butter-churned, frothy escapism for romance lovers with modern sensibilities.
But with Bridgerton’s AU approach to race, the biggest discussion in subsequent seasons has been how far this escapism can reach. Since the show’s creators have been open to changing dynamics around race in the series, fans also hoped they’d be open to including queer main characters in future seasons. Showrunner Jess Brownell and cast members have said there are at least two years before fans can expect to see another season, but have indicated LGBTQ+ plot points are on their radar. “I think this is a show about the many ways in which people love,” said Brownell. “So it only feels right to show all the ways in which people love, including queer love.” Without spoilers, Season 3 of Bridgerton shows certain hints and explicit clues about future pairings, but for fans who have now found themselves hooked on romances that revolve around elaborate balls, duels, and dance cards — but are perhaps interested in seeing more queer versions of their new favorite world — here are a few steamy novels that could scratch that itch.
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Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian (2020)
Author Cat Sebastian doesn’t just have one Regency-themed queer love story, she has a whole series, all of which paint their main characters into detailed lush settings. Seducing the Sedgwicks follows three sons of an eccentric English poet as they each find their own love stories. In the third book, Two Rogues Make a Right, Will Sedgwick has gone months without any word from his best friend Martin Easterbrook. Concerned, Will takes matters into his own hands, leaving home to try to find Martin on what society assumes is a gentleman’s bender. But when Will discovers Martin hiding away, deathly ill, he takes command of his health. Convalescing in the countryside, the two men’s time away from society finally forces them to address their long-felt pining. Sebastian’s books often lack heart-racing action, instead taking an intimate approach to this gay romance.
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Don’t Want You Like A Best Friend by Emma Alban (2024)
Besides the purposeful Taylor Swift lyric reference in the title, Emma Alban’s debut novel combines Bridgerton-esque worldbuilding with a Parent Trap twist. When two debutantes desperately want to escape the awkward requirements of their debut season, they come up with a plan to focus on something else: mainly, getting their widowed parents to fall in love. In the process of masterminding a love story, and navigating a season they’re expected to leave with husbands, Beth and Gwen are forced to contend with their planned futures and why every time they spend time together, it feels a little like love. With hijinks and plenty of descriptions of shining deb dresses, Alban perfectly paints her Regency world and the groundwork for her two main characters’ love.
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The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (2017)
Henry Montague, known by his friends, enemies, and lovers as Monty, is on a grand tour of Europe — one where rules don’t apply and life is decadence all day long. There’s only one problem: Monty’s spring-break lifestyle has a ticking clock behind it, and he’s expected to give up his life of debauchery when he returns. This flirt is determined to make the most of his last good year. But when his roguish ways get him into serious trouble, he has to figure out how to make things right, and sort out if his feelings for his best friend are love of a different kind. Lee’s romance isn’t all late nights and bodice ripping; the book’s best quality lies in its perfect understanding of how rogues operate, and the sensuality of Monty’s lines practically drip through the pages.
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The Perks of Loving A Wallflower by Erica Ridley (2021)
Thomasina Wynchester is an undercover investigator best known for her ability to transform in any way to solve the case, including cosplaying as a secretive new bachelor in the marriage scene. But her assignment puts her directly in contact with Miss Philippa York, a writer whose manuscript could uncover the clues to a secret past. The two must choose between solving a decades-long riddle and maneuvering a society not meant for them. Wallflower has drama galore, with Ridley managing to imbue chapters of intense intrigue with the two’s deepening desire.
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A Nobleman’s Guide To Seducing A Scoundrel by KJ Charles (2023)
An unexpected inheritance suddenly gives Major Rufus d’Aumesty the title of Earl. He’s got the money, but no idea on how to run a household. Luke Doomsday is the son of a smuggler who’s got eyes on Rufus’ fortune and becomes the man’s secretary and unexpected ally. But when the two fall in love, can Luke’s family demands be forgiven? Or are the two destined to remain enemies? There’s money, tender looks in studies, and a lot of steamy moments in opulent carpeted hallways, which is the perfect combination for a fail-proof passion play.
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A Lady For A Duke by Alexis Hall (2021)
What do you do when you’re in love with your best friend, heir to a massive fortune, and also pretty confident that you’re actually a woman? Why, fake your own death at the Battle of Waterloo of course! When Viscount Marleigh is injured viciously while at war — and everyone at home thinks she’s dead— she takes advantage of the assumption and begins to live her new life as Lady Viola. Suddenly free, Viola is learning everything about what it means to be a lady in Regency England. She feels good about her new home, new dresses, and new life. What she can’t feel good about is giving up her best friend, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood, who has retreated from society since her presumed death. She wants to help him heal, but can she reveal who she’s always been and keep her new life? Hall’s novel is explicit about the rules of this England, but doesn’t shy away from allowing its characters to build their love on a strong background, also showing plenty of evidence that queer people in historical romances aren’t all fiction — you’ve just got to look for them.